DoD gives Android stamp of approval, but only on a Dell Venue

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If you’re bummed by how long it takes for updates to make their way to your Android device, be thankful that you’re not playing by Department of Defense rules. The DoD has been big on BlackBerry devices in the past, but now they’ve sanctioned Android…to a certain extent, anyway.

That’s somewhat convenient, since the Venue still ships with 2.2 and not one of the more up-to-date Android versions that you’d find on most other current phones. Nevertheless, if you’re forced to adhere to DoD standards and you’ve been hankering for an Android device you can actually use, the Venue’s not a terrible option.

It’s at least got a 1GHz processor, a 4-inch display, and an 8MP rear shooter — which puts it in the same ballpark as the original (and long-outmoded) HTC Incredible. It doesn’t hold a candle to today’s top-of-the-line Androids, but when security is a top concern you can’t always expect to be using hot new hardware.

And that outdated OS isn’t quite ready to rock out of the box — there’s actually a complete Android hardening guide which needs to be followed. Some tinkering needs to be done, such as shutting down access to the Android Market and other third-party app stores. Users also won’t be loading any classified information onto their Venues, which presumably means no email access either.

Ultimately, it seems like it’d be a whole lot easier for the DoD to roll a modified, pre-approved ROM for Android devices that it could flash before deploying them. Maybe once the CyanogenMod crew is done working on their ICS ROM they could lend a hand.